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Me and my partner are searching for a property to buy initially as a holiday home leading to retirement and permanent residency. We are coming out in September staying in Almunecar. We are currently torn between a cave house in the Baza area and a cortijo/rural property in the Albunol area. We have 2 of each to view so far and continue to search the net for others. Must have a garden and/or land as we will ultimately be bringing out our 2 dogs and also would like to grow some veg and possibly put a pool in so we are not interested in town houses etc with no outside space.

Any views at all on these plans. I like the sea for swimming which is why the coast appeals but looking at Lake Negratin I may not miss it too much and the cave houses do have an appeal as well.

<font class="content">Hi
Yes the area around Lake Negratin is beautiful and with all the problems of illegal building cave houses are certainly very appealing too as they never seem to have any legal problems.
My husband does alot of cave reforms in that area for a local estate agency and the options are endless there is also a better balance inland of spanish and english living together.
Happy hunting</font>

<font class="content">You will be hard pressed to grow veg it is extremely rocky here, Albuñol is very dry, we do get rain in winter, but our garden for instance is rock, which we had to dig out for the pool.

It is hard enough keeping the trees we do have going throught summer. </font>_________________pwwm

<font class="content">We have now made a decision of sorts and are going to abandon the Baza area and concentrate on the Costa Tropical area around Albunol/La Rabita. Are currently making a short list of properties to view during the week we are there next month. Got 3 at the moment assuming of course they are still available.

Appreciate your comments pwwm re veg but we thought we could use pots and create beds with bricks maybe. Presumably it is possible to buy some sort of compost in bags like you can in the UK? Just be nice to grow some salad veg really in small areas to make watering easier. I do realise that there is not much rain thats why we fancy the area !!

If there is anything we should look out for when we are viewing given that we are looking at cortijos in the main that would be very useful to know or any other info you can give us.

<font class="content">Make sure it is not in direct sunlight, very very hot here during summer months, there is a Saliplant in Albuñol where you can buy compost etc, readily available everywhere anyway.
re looking at property, may I suggest, that if an agent tells you water and elctric can be connected you find out for sure first. be careful if the property is up a track, most are ok, but, when it rains, some tracks do get washed away if dirt.
A lot have been concreted over the last few months, so should be ok. Also be aware if you are thinking of extending a property, it is not easy to do now. lost of permissions, so dont assume you will be bale to, probably, but dont buy if not sure.
It is lovely here, we have bene here 6 years, the locals are fantastic, but not a lot of English is spoken so do try to learn some, there are free lessons here anyway.
anything else ask or pm me
pwwm </font>

<font class="content">I think Gaspacho has not quite got the hand of the meaning of semi-arid to arid soil. Huge chunks of the area are muscovite mica. There is very little that will grow - even if you think of bringing in compost. Someone has already mentioned the heat. So even if you water your plants, your stuff will 'cook' in the summer. Added to that the problem of extremely hard water - not something that tender plants like. It's like trying to create Empire gardens in the middle of Cooper Peedy. I thought we'd done all that a couple of hundred years ago! Furthermore, the strong winds that can prevail will probably whip any top soil you try to lay down. Don't mean to be a jeremiad - but I'd stick to cultivating Nispero and cactii that give fruit - and just have small pots for your favourite herbs - well shaded and in a sheltered place. Why do you think that olives do so well? Because they bleed anything vaguely nutritious out of the soil they are rooted in.</font>

<font class="content">i am sure that tomatos and other things grown in a green house will do well anywhere and herbs are very hardy just need to find right place for them, after all its spain not ethiopia</font>

<font class="content">No - it is not Ethiopia - very smart!! But we do have a tendency of wandering off on the globe trying to improve other people's places (Lord Shaftesbury's opinion in the C18th - not mine) - without due concern to what we are doing to the microclimate, not to speak fo the water table in more important instances.

You may be aware that strawberries do grow in Murcia - lots! Just so we can all queue up in Sainsbury's et all in the midst of the less sunnier climes of misty Albion! And often at much reduced prices.

The result - drastically dropping water table in Murcia. Perhaps you ought to read the websites of concerned Spanish ecologists.

Similarily everyon wanting pools - best example of this is tourist resorts on various tropical islands and the west coast of India - leaving the local indigenous communities with a lack of water.

So all I can say - no, not Ethiopia - not yet!!

I think it was Einstein who when asked how would the next world war be fought?

His reply was - I don't know - but I do know the one after that will be fought with sticks and stones!! </font>

<font class="content">as to how the next war will be fought are we not fighting it allready or do you live were you have no news, get a grip on reality heicopters and anti personal bombs.
have been to many hotter places all over this world with work and they do not seem to have the problems we do when we get hot summer horses for courses springs to mind
if it works for me i will grow strawberrys or anything else that will grow as i have that inclination to see what i can do or grow
but as i am sure you are aware you can allways find out info from the net from people that have tried and done it allready
wouldnt put me of trying over in spain though allthough it might do to some</font>